Bushra yawned noisily as the rising sun struck her face. She stretched out her whole body. Two hours after leaving the ranch, they had crossed into Colorado. Mateo had driven another hour before pulling over to rarely used BLM Land.

(The Bureau of Land Management controls parcels of public land for people to camp or park their car overnight to get some shut eye.)

Mateo had slept in the car, but Bushra had decided to sleep outdoors. Her body had been cramped inside the car. To wake up and be able to stretch out was nice.

Yawning again, Bushra carefully pushed herself up. Her outfit was a mess with grass stains all over it. She was going to have to switch to a different sari outfit. Keeping an eye out for other people, she opened the passenger seat and grabbed her backpack.

She slipped behind some bushes and quickly changed. The local wildlife stared curiously at the strange human/dinosaur as she changed clothes. None of them approached her as they were frightened as well.

As she went to hide her tail, a familiar sound could be heard. Bushra growled as she witnessed three Compys coming down a game trail toward her. She was not in the mood to deal with these pests.

She slammed her tail down causing the Compys to pause. She ran towards them and swung her tail hitting one of them. The other jumped at her, but she spun around so they hit her armored back.

She lowered her head, and hooked one with one horn, and tossed the Compy down the game trail. The last one jumped for her wrist, but she kicked it in the stomach.

She barred her teeth and snarled at them. The three critters took off not wanting to mess with her anymore. "You better run away, you pests!" she yelled after them.

Finishing putting her outfit on, she emerged from the bushes and saw Mateo sitting at a nearby picnic table. He looked a bit frumpy from spending the night in the car. "I was wondering where you wandered off to."

"Getting dressed is not easy when you have to hide half your body. I just hope those Compys leave us alone. They are the worst pests in the world," she replied.

She went back to the car and checked on her egg. There were no cracks in the shell and it was the right temperature. It was too bright out to candle her egg at the moment.

Hopefully, when they stopped tonight, she could use the emergency kit's flashlight to check on her baby. While she didn't know what defects to look for, she would at least be able to see if the baby's egg sack was still intact.

"You're doing good, my little one. Stay nice and warm for Mom, okay?" Bushra said as she slightly raised the heat by a half point.

Shutting the car door, she went to see what Mateo had for breakfast. They had stopped at a convenience store last night to pick up a few snacks. The man handed her a blueberry muffin.

"I hope you like blueberries. It was the only food I could find that I thought would be something you could digest. Unless you know your stomach is now human."

Bushra waved him off. She had tried human food during her previous transformation. Sure, she wasn't sure about meat, but she could handle the fruit and the few vegetables her herdmates had provided.

Taking a bite, she discovered she liked the texture and taste of the food. She swallowed the bite and waited a few minutes. When her stomach didn't protest, she continued to eat.

Soon, she devoured the muffin and uncapped a small bottle of orange juice. That was safe for her to drink. She ignored the curious glances Mateo was giving her.

Mateo tried not to stare. He was just amazed at how careful the teenage hybrid was trying new food. She was also a very neat eater, making sure not to stain her lips or drop crumbs.

Once she was finished, Mateo laid out the travel map. "Okay, this is where we are," he said circling the spot on the map. "Taking into account stops for gas, food, and bathroom breaks, we should be able to make it here by eight tonight."

He circled a city halfway through the state of Colorado. He was thankful that it didn't pass by the halfway house or Brooklynn's apartment. He couldn't handle reliving those memories.

Bushra questioned why they would be stopping in a city for the night. After all, she couldn't be seen in her hybrid state. Mateo assured her that he could find an out of the way motel they could stay in for the night.

"Motels don't really have security and the guests are pretty much left alone. We can check out before the maid comes to clean the room. You won't be seen."

She nodded and said she was ready to continue on their journey. After making sure to clean up any prints she left behind the duo was ready to go. Fifteen minutes later were on the road and heading towards their next destination.

They had been driving for two and a half hours now. Bushra snapped a few pictures of the landscape. She swiped through them.

"Wouldn't a place like this be wonderful to live one day?" she said out loud.

"Yeah, it's beautiful, but the high elevation is not something I would enjoy," Mateo replied.

Bushra was confused. What did Mateo mean by elevation? Back on Isle Nublar, the highest point had been the volcano. Did that mean there were volcanos in Colorado?

She twisted her head to check on her egg. She was pleased to see the incubator was still working fine. Sammy had bought incubators that could either be plugged in or run off batteries.

When they stopped at the motel for the night, she would keep the incubator plugged in to charge the batteries. She hoped, what was that word again? Oh, the current was compatible with the incubator.

Mateo was used to driving around alone so he wasn't much of a talker. Though maybe he should make sure the hybrid felt more comfortable in the car. Even with the modifications, he could tell that the hybrid teen was still uneasy inside the car.

"Colorado is an amazing state. Which of your kin would be comfortable living here?"

Bushra closed her eyes and tried to think. "I'm not sure. Perhaps a Limusaurus? There were a lot of hidden dinos at the Menagerie so I don't know what dinosaurs were not accounted for at the Lockwood Manor."

"Most likely a lot. When I was with the DPW, we were transporting a lot of dinosaurs that weren't on the official escape lists. Makes you wonder who's out there creating more mons, I mean, dinosaurs."

"You don't have to pretend with me. I know some humans see us as monsters, instead of animals. The Indominus certainly was one."

She shivered as the memories of trying to escape that creature came rushing back. The fear of watching those teeth sinking into her foster mother. Her desperate attempt to run faster to keep up with her human herd mates.

Who could forget about Toro? She panicked badly when she saw him trying to climb/crawl up those stairs. She still had nightmares about them not escaping on the monorail.

Taking a deep breath, she let those memories drift into the back of her mind. "Nature is beautiful and dangerous. You can't have one without the other in this world."

They continued to drive for another hour when Mateo noticed smoke starting to come from the engine. He quickly pulled over to the side of the interstate. His passenger was confused by what was happening.

"Something's wrong with the engine. I need to see what's causing the smoke. Stay inside for now."

Mateo propped the hood up and looked over the engine. Something appeared to be wrong with the electrical system. Looking closer, he saw the spark plug had blown out.

There was no way he could fix this by himself even if he had the part. He started moving his phone around hoping to get a good signal. Finding one, he quickly looked up the nearest tow company.

"Hey, King's Towing. My name is Mateo Montoya. Yeah, my car broke down just past mile marker 32. I'm about ten miles from the town of Fountain. What's the soonest you can get here?"

"Forty minutes? Okay, I'll wait in my car until then. Thanks."

Mateo looked at the car and eyeballed Bushra. She was not going to like what he had to tell her. He was dreading letting her know what was happening.

"Is someone coming to fix the car?" Bushra asked curiously.

Mateo nodded and let out a sigh. "Um, Bushra? The people who fix cars don't do it on the spot. The car will be towed to a mechanic to look at."

Bushra tilted her head wondering why that would be a problem. Surely, she could remain in the car while they fixed it. Then Mateo dropped a bombshell on her.

"We can't be in the car while they fix it. It's a lot of work and they can't do it if people are in the cars making them worry about their safety. We'll have to get out."

Bushra's eyes broadened in fear. "How am I supposed to get out without exposing my tail? I can't pull it under my sari unless it's all the way out first!"

Mateo winced at the volume of her voice. "You're going to have to pull it out while we're still in the car and keep it wrapped tightly around you. We also need to keep your egg out of sight."

He explained if the mechanics saw the egg they would call the police. Smuggling dinosaur eggs is a federal offense these days. It wasn't like they could tell the authorities it was her egg without revealing her secret.

Bushra twisted around to look at her egg. How long could she keep it warm without the incubator? She couldn't carry it with her like she had done when escaping the docks.

She would have to carry it in her backpack. That begged the question of how she was going to make sure it didn't roll around inside. When she did it previously it was only down a small flight of stairs.

Who knew how long they would be walking around while the car was being fixed? What if she couldn't keep it warm enough? What if someone stole her bag and took her precious child from her?!

"Whoa, calm down. Calm down! You're going to bust the trunk door open!" Mateo yelled as the car started to shake.

The hybrid was trying to calm down, but the car kept rocking as her anxiety grew. She clenched her hands tightly, ignoring the trickle of blood coming out between her fingers.

"If you keep rocking the car your egg could be damaged!" Mateo shouted. That ultimately got Bushra to stop swinging her tail. She couldn't endanger her child!

Three hours later, Mateo and Bushra were checking into a motel. Besides needing a new spark plug, the car also needed an oil change, along with getting new tires. Also,

the mechanic was willing to give Mateo a discount on the tires so the cost wouldn't be as high.

The mechanic agreed to fix the dino damage for free. He didn't have the right spark plug model for Mateo's car, but he could get one in the morning. It would take a day maybe two to fix the car.

Mateo pushed the door to the room open. Thankfully, the room was clean and there were two beds. Mateo locked the door and tightly drew the curtains.

Bushra quickly took off the outer layer of her sari, exposing her armored back and tail. She carefully removed her egg and laid it on her temporary bed. She started grabbing anything soft and warm to form a nest.

"I hope you're comfortable now, Speckles. Mom is right here to make sure nothing bad happens to you. Once it's a bit darker I'll get my first look at you!" she cooed.

Suddenly, she ran into the bathroom and started vomiting. Mateo wondered what was wrong, but wasn't sure if he should ask what was wrong. The hybrid came out of the bathroom looking a bit flushed.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't know what came over me. I've never had that urge to…what is the word? Oh, regurgitate! Yeah, I've never felt like that before."

"There's a minimart across the street. I'll pick up ginger ale for you. It will help with any nausea you might have."

The teenager started to protest saying she was fine before suddenly bolting into the bathroom and throwing up again. Sighing, Mateo told her to stay in the room and that he would be back with the ginger ale soon.

Bushra threw up twice more by the time he returned. She was also complaining of a severe headache. Mateo asked if there were any other issues she was having.

"I'm not hungry and I feel very tired, but I can't sleep. I'm trying to breathe normal, but it doesn't feel like I'm getting the same amount of air as normal."

"This was what I was worried about. Colorado is a very mountainous state. That means the amount of pressure, a force that keeps us grounded is higher."

"Your body is used to being in a lower pressure zone. What you are experiencing now is altitude sickness. Your body needs time to adjust to the elevation," the man explained as he offered the ginger ale to the hybrid.

"How long will it take my body to adjust?" she asked. Bushra managed to climb into the bed. She hugged Speckle's egg close to her body.

Mateo told her he was sure in her case. Her hybrid nature made giving her any medication a risk. She would have to deal with the symptoms as they continued on their journey."

"Try to get some rest tonight. In the morning, we'll see how you feel, okay?"

Bushra nodded and did her best to get comfortable. Maybe all she did need was sleep. After making sure her egg wouldn't roll off the bed, the hybrid teen did her best to fall asleep

.The next morning, Mateo checked on his companion. The hybrid was still asleep. The trashcan was next to her bed and she grimaced at the smell.

Apparently, she had woken up during the night and couldn't make it to the bathroom in time. Her breathing hadn't returned to its normal pattern. Hopefully, as the day progressed, Bushra's health would improve.

After throwing out the trash, Mateo went to the minimart to get something for breakfast. As he was walking around the store, the news was playing on the corner TV.

"Good morning, Fountain. Today is quite special for our little town. It's not every day a famous veterinarian visits the city, is it?" the male broadcaster asked his female cohost.

"No, it isn't. However, our special visitor is causing quite a stir. Dr. Zia Rodriguez, a paleo-veterinarian from the now-defunct Dinosaur Protect Group, is arriving today to work with local Fish and Wildlife officers. Her expertise will greatly assist the officers in creating ways to protect both humans and dinosaurs from interacting with one another."

"Dr. Rodriguez was part of a small group of DPG and raptor trainer, Owen Grady, who were present during the Lockwood Manor Incident. The group tried to prevent the release of the dinosaurs during Mr. Eli Mills's illegal auction at the Lockwood Estate. The fact that they failed has many people wary of Dr. Rodriguez's visit," the female broadcaster informed viewers.

"Indeed, protestors have been camped out all week outside city hall. They have been demanding the mayor bar Dr. Rodriguez from entering the city limits. As of right now, no official statements have been made by the mayor or his staff."

Mateo tuned the news out as he paid for his items. He made his way back to the motel. When the garage opened up later today, he would go to see if the car was ready or not.

Entering the room, he saw that Bushra had locked herself in the bathroom. He could hear moans of distress coming from behind the door. He knocked on the door.

"I'm back. Once, you're up for it, you can eat the food I bought. Don't forget to clean yourself up."

Bushra still hadn't come out when Mateo left to check on the car. The mechanic greeted him kindly.

"The car is halfway fixed. I'm still waiting for your car model's spark plug. It won't arrive until tomorrow afternoon. It's also taking me longer than normal to fix the dents, especially the one on the bottom of the trunk lid."

Mateo started perspiring slowly. "Oh, I'm not sure what caused that one. I was just doing my best to avoid the dinosaurs while driving."

"I suspect one of the smaller dinosaurs slept in the trunk at one point in time, then used its head to get out of it. You should make sure to check your car inside and out to ensure there are no hidden passengers."

Mateo promised to do that from now on. He asked the mechanic to call him once the car was ready for pickup. Outside the garage, he took a few deep breaths and started walking back to the motel.

He was greeted by an unpleasant surprise when he entered the room. Bushra was spread out on the floor unconscious. Her egg was on the edge of the bed looking like it could fall off at any second.

Mateo quickly grabbed the egg and safely stuffed it inside the bookbag. He then checked on Bushra. He didn't like what he was seeing.

She was shivering badly. Her pulse was unsteady. Placing his hand on the hybrid's forehead, he could tell she was burning up. This was more than altitude sickness.

It was clear that Bushra needed medical intervention. But did he need a vet or a doctor? Taking her to either would expose her secret. There had to be someone who could help him and wouldn't tell a soul about this.

The news report! They had said Dr. Rodriguez was in town to help Fish and Wildlife officers. She knew about the needs of dinosaurs so maybe she could help him.

He just had to find her and bring the woman back here. He quickly looked up where the Fish and Wildlife office was. It wasn't close by, but a taxi would get him there in twenty minutes.

Mateo wasn't sure how he would persuade the woman to come here. He would worry about that later. The hybrid teenager needed his help now.

When he arrived at the office, he looked around to see if he could spot the woman. He didn't see anyone who looked like the woman from the news story. There was a secretary at the front desk holding her head up in hand.

She noticed Mateo and straightened up. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Dr. Rodriguez. I heard on the news she was visiting this office today."

The woman looked exhausted upon hearing that. "If you have a complaint, you can file it at city hall. I have a lot of paperwork and I don't have time to take a statement."

Mateo held up his hands as he told her he wasn't there to complain. "I'm a truck driver for the DPW. I want to see if she can take a look at the dinosaur I'm transporting."

The woman looked skeptical of his claim because he wasn't in uniform. He also appeared to be very nervous. "Can I see your work ID?"

Mateo fidgeted before lying that his work ID was in his truck while it was being repaired.

The secretary stared at him. "I can't help you without a work ID. Listen, I won't call the cops, but you need to leave now."

Sighing, Mateo left the office. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't leave without at least talking to the woman.

That's when he heard shouting coming from the parking lot. He followed the sound and was astonished by what he saw. He saw Dr. Rodriguez arguing with one of the officers.

"You can't use that type of trap for the dinosaurs! If you do, you're just going to lure more predators closer to the town!" The woman shouted.

The officer was holding what appeared to be a supersized modern-day foot aka bear trap. Even from a distance, he could see the sun glistening on the metal teeth. A shiver went down Mateo's spine.

"Listen, lady, this is the kind of trap that actually gets the job done. We don't have the time or resources to waste building live traps to catch these pests. It's not like we can make pit traps or snares big enough for dinosaurs," the officer barked at her.

"So, you rather have the predators smell blood and start hunting near here? Because that's what's going to happen. If you keep using these traps because they'll know they can get an easy meal here!"

"Well, your idea to create a chemical barrier fence isn't very smart, in my opinion. Do you even have any idea what kind of smell would deter both herbivores and carnivores? Also, how will that help against the flying reptiles?"

"Get a radar system! Use high-powered magnets to mess with their internal compass! My specialty is dinosaurs, not flying or swimming reptiles!"

"Well until you do, I'm going to continue doing my job in the way I know how."

"WALTERS!" a strong male voice shouted from behind Mateo. Mateo shrieked and jumped. Turning around a muscular and stern looking man in an F&W uniform was glaring at the other officer.

The man now identified as Walter was white as a sheet. He was babbling as the man strode through the parking lot towards him. The officer, who had to be this guy's boss, snatched Walter's wrist and dragged him back towards the building while slamming the door behind him.

Dr. Rodriguez let out a sigh of annoyance. "Men, why can't they listen properly? Franklin isn't like these idiots."

She started walking back to the office when Mateo intercepted her. "Dr. Rodriguez, my name is Mateo Montoya. I need your help."

"That is the worst pickup line, dude. I don't have time to entertain you and your fantasies." The woman sidestepped him and resumed walking towards the office.

Mateo snagged her wrist to keep her from going any further. "I'm not asking you for a date. I'm married and I really do need your help."

Dr. Rodriguez twisted around and freed herself. She then shoved Mateo into a parked car. "I was a Marine before I was a palo-vet. You touch me one more time I'll…"

"It's about the Nublar Six!" Mateo managed to get out. Instantly the pressure on him eased. Rubbing his hands he looked at the woman.

Her demeanor had changed. She looked at him with a curious expression. "You have five minutes to explain what you mean."

Mateo quickly explained how he met the Nublar Six. How they asked him to transport their Ankylosaurus friend to a scientist in Montana with her newly laid egg. He then told her the dinosaur was acting sickly and that he needed her to examine her.

"I can't move her and since I'm no longer DPW, if I get caught transporting a dinosaur, I'm going to federal jail. I know that you're busy, but I do need your help. Please, will you help their dino herd mate?"

"Just tell me where to drive to," she said as she dragged the man to her car.

When they got to the motel, Dr. Rodriguez looked at Mateo with suspicions. Before she opened her mouth Mateo asked her to trust him. "Something happened to the Nublar Six that they never told the public."

Getting out of the car, they approached the room. "I don't know all the details, but the Nublar Six trusted me with a very important secret. A secret that if I share with you, you can't tell anyone about what you're about to see."

Dr. Rodriguez nodded as Mateo knocked on the door. "Bushra, it's me. I brought someone to help you. Don't worry, you can trust her."

There was a moan of pain followed by a faint plea for help. Greatly confused now, Dr. Rodriguez followed Mateo inside. Her jaw dropped when she saw her "patient."

Bushra was dressed in only her undergarments and perspiring copiously. Her tail hung limp and the scales on her armored back had dulled. She was coughing terribly; her horns having pierced the pillow behind her.

She was clutching the backpack tightly to her chest. "Speckles was getting cold. I had to cough to make sure they were warm."

Mateo gently took the bag from her. "Don't worry, the nice doctor will check out Speckles after she checks on you."

The Palo-vet knelt next to the bed. "Hi, your name is Bushra?"

"In cough this form. Cough, cough, my real name is Bumpy. Cough, Bushra is fine cough though."

"My name is Zia. Is it okay if I exam you?" the vet asked her.

"Yes, cough, cough. I need to be healthy to, moan, to take care of Speckles." As soon as she finished speaking, she threw up in the garbage can.

Zia began examining Bushra while asking about her medical history. Bushra gave answers the best she could. "We didn't have any medical equipment to assist us in understanding how our hybrid forms worked under the skin."

That was a problem. Without a more detailed exam, Zia would have to do a lot of guesswork to see if she could help. "I see, do you know if your temperature stays the same as a human or are you still influenced by your environment?"

"Sammy remembered me being within human range."

"What about your diet? What did you eat last time and what have you been eating this time?"

"She mostly sticks with grain and fruit. Occasionally, she's had a few vegetables. She hasn't touched meat or oily food," Mateo answered.

Zia then asked if she ate any junk food and Bushra said she had eaten food from a convenience store, but hadn't felt bad after eating it.

Zia nodded and asked a few more questions about how the teenager was captured and transferred to the docks. Did any of the other dinosaurs appear sick? Did she eat or drink anything she shouldn't have?

Bushra shook her head and started feeling nauseous again. She did mention how she had trouble laying her egg and how long she was in labor. Could she have picked up some bacteria during that time?

Zia said it was possible but she didn't think that was the issue. After questioning Mateo a bit more, she had an idea what was wrong. At least eighty percent sure.

"I think your altitude sickness has transformed into a respiratory infection. It's a common sickness among reptiles," Zia explained.

"I thought dinosaurs evolved into birds," Mateo commented.

"Some of them did. Modern day birds can trace their ancestry from therapod dinosaurs. However, other groups, such as the Ankylosaurid family, ancestry is firmly reptile."

Looking at her patient, Zia stated that Bushra had been incubating the virus and the sudden elevation change allowed it to run wild thanks to her getting altitude sickness.

"Can you cough, cure me?" Bushra asked weakly.

Zia said perhaps. She needed to do some calculations before she could administer anything to her. Bushra nodded and asked the woman to check her egg over.

Mateo gently pulled the speckled egg out of the backpack. Zia delicately looked over the egg. With the minimum medical gear she had, she did a detailed examination.

"Your egg is healthy and from what I can tell, your baby is developing on schedule. Make sure to keep it at the right temperature. Also, I think it would be best if Mateo takes care of Speckles right now."

Both Mateo and Bushra looked confused. Zia leveled with them. "Respiratory infections are highly contagious. They can even pass to incubating embryos if you're not careful."

"Understood. I can keep the egg safe. Can you help Bushra?"

Zia wasn't completely sure. "Respiratory infections are common to both humans and reptiles, but different viruses cause them. I can probably come up with a treatment plan and some pain relievers for her."

"Is that cough, cough, all you can do to treat me?" Bushra asked weakly.

Zia knelt close to her. "Bushra, your situation is really complicated. However, both humans and reptiles get over these infections the same way. The virus has to work its way out of your system."

"I need to get a few things I left at the F&W office to help make the pain reliever. In the meantime, you can help her by making sure she takes a cleansing shower. Her back and tail need to be washed thoroughly to keep them healthy."

Once Zia left, Mateo got to work. He used the blanket from his bed to protect his clothes as he guided the sick teenager into the bathroom. She was trying her best to keep standing despite her headache.

"Okay, we're going to clean your tail first. Can you sit on the toilet while I clean it?" Mateo asked.

Bushra nodded as she covered her mouth as she coughed again. Mateo told her to use the sanitizer to clean her hands. He also told her to use the tissues if she needed to blow her nose.

Zia came back an hour later. "Sorry, it took me so long. The officers wanted to know where I went. I told them if I was going to be treated with blatant disrespect, I wasn't going to help them."

"I take it that they got rid of the officer who was bothering you?" Mateo asked as finished gathering all of Bushra's garments.

"They told him not to come to work tomorrow so I could work in peace. They wanted me to get back on schedule, but I said I wasn't in the right head space. That I needed a day to cool off."

"So, I have to leave bright and early tomorrow. I can still help you out tonight. Are you taking the clothes to be washed?" Zia asked.

Mateo nodded and said he had already done a deep clean on the girl's shoes. "You can disinfect her other items. I'm going to stop at a pharmacy to pick up some masks, gloves, and sanitizer."

Zia waved him away. She would be ready with the treatment plan by the time he got back. He nodded and left, heading across the street to the twenty-four hours laundry mat.

Bushra was lying on the bed covered only with a towel. She was still coughing but her coloring had improved. Zia approached her cautiously so as to not startle her.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

Bushra admitted she felt a bit better now that she was clean. Zia told her that was good. "I brought a sunlamp with me. The scales on your body need more Vitamin D if you want to keep them healthy."

"Will this cough, also help with the, cough the infection?"

"It can't make it any worse. Stay under the light for an hour, okay? I'll be in the chair over there making your medicine."

Zia was in the zone as she started on the medicine. From her examination, it appeared that Bushra's infection was caused by the human virus. However, to help the hybrid deal with the pain, she added a very small amount of pain relievers usually prescribed to pet lizards.

She had just given Bushra her first dose when Mateo returned. "Talked to the mechanic again. The car will be ready for pickup tomorrow. Is that the medicine?" he asked as he pointed the pill bottle in her hand.

Zia nodded as she started making up the chair. "I'm going to stay with you two tonight. I want to monitor her through the night in case she has a bad reaction from the drug."

Mateo thanked her for all she had done so far. "When I went to make amends, I had no idea I would get involved in something like this. I'm just glad my wife understands why I have to do this."

"You're lucky you know that. I still get the stink eye for not stopping the release of the dinosaurs at the manor. Even if we had, the dinosaurs already sold would most likely have broken out of their transports and caused chaos anyway."

"Everyone wants someone to blame. Sometimes there is no one to blame and we just have to deal with it."

The night came and went. Zia was pleased to see that Bushra hadn't had any negative reaction to the pain reliever. She had just finished packing the recovery bag when Mateo came back with the car.

"Alright, you can lean on me for support. Be certain your tail doesn't get caught between your legs."

The teenager nodded as she slowly approached the car. She didn't feel nauseated anymore. Her throat was a little raw from coughing so much.

Once Bushra was carefully seated in the car, Zia handed the bag to Mateo. "She'll need the pain reliever once every six hours. Make sure she continues to drink water, and if she wants to, the ginger ale."

"She should eat a lot of Vitamin C fruit to boost her immune system. As for the rest of the time, light meals only. You don't want the nausea to come back."

"Make sure she has light therapy for an hour to keep her skin healthy. She needs to wear a mask and gloves anytime she's around other people. Make sure you take care of yourself so you don't get sick."

She leaned in and whispered, "I left a few medical tools you can use to keep an eye on the egg. Make sure it remains healthy."

Stepping back, she wished them luck on the rest of their trip. The duo waved goodbye and drove away from the motel. Bushra settled in for a nap as Mateo kept his eyes on the road.

He hoped they wouldn't run into trouble like this when they reached Wyoming.